In part 1 we saw maintenance of the rig mostly involves checking for existing problems and preventing new ones. The options for maintenance aloft range from a basic inspection to removing each piece of rigging to check its condition and attachment point. If you feel the latter is necessary it’s probably better to pull the stick out and do a thorough check at ground level.

A strong, seaworthy rig is a vital part of any cruising boat. But care of the rig is often overlooked, either through ignorance or a conviction that rig maintenance is a mysterious art known only to a select few.

Circumnavigating the world at age 80 for the 11th time Mr Jon Sanders departed the Fremantle Sailing Club on his 10-month journey on the 3rd November 2019 cementing himself as a WA icon and helping the planet at the same time.

New research by a travel comparison website found that nearly one in two Australian travellers don’t know which pre-existing conditions to declare when buying travel insurance, which could leave them uninsured.

The Department of Transport (DoT) wants those heading out on the water to be prepared and is advocating skippers and passengers take the 30 Second Challenge which tests readiness for an emergency response on board a vessel.

The free to atted Multihull Boat Show and Open Day is being held at Multihull Solutions Gold Coast sales centre where there will be an extensive range of quality new and pre-owned sail and power multihulls.

The Topsail Australia team has grown by two new members who have both made the long journey from the UK. Rob and Barkely are now well settled in Sydney and looking forward to their first Christmas in warmer climes.

Two weather systems are coming together to create a deluge that is set to pummel much of the eastern seaboard in the coming days, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing severe weather warnings in several states.

It was a big shock to us all when we heard that Henri Lloyd had gone into administration but then even better to hear now that they have been saved through the intervention of Swedish investment company, Aligro Group Limited.

In the Volvo Ocean Race Cardiff race village, the Welsh Government signed the country up to the United Nations Environment's #CleanSeas campaign alongside World Sailing and the International Olympic Committee.

New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services have advised anyone boating off the north coast this weekend to be on alert for debris after more than 80 shipping containers toppled from a cargo ship off Stockton on Thursday night.

Visible from space, covering 1000 miles, a complex yet fragile ecosystem home to thousands of marine life, the World's largest living structure; the Great Barrier Reef is dying and in danger of disappearing.

Australian youth sailors are benefitting from an exchange programme with Japanese sailors. SailWorld recently covered the story of some of Australia's up-and-coming sailing talents who are gaining a valuable opportunity to race, learn and build relationships with young Japanese sailors as part of an exchange program in the lead-up to the Youth World Championships in the US later this year.

The weather may be making a dive into the lower temperatures but there is still plenty of sailing available around the country. Thanks to our friends at MySail you can see all available crewing and sailing opportunities in their weekly update.

The Sydney International Boat Show, the region's largest recreational boating event, will once again be at the ICC Sydney exhibition space, the largest single consumer show at the venue, occupying seven halls and the spectacular outdoor event deck as well as the marina.

We have been informed of a frightening Pirate attack recently experienced by a sailing family in the Gulf of Aden. Also known as Pirates Alley, the Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen and Somalia.

4Ocean, set up by two surfing and ocean enthusiast friends Alex and Andrew, is the global movement offering a 100% recycled bracelet that purposefully and proudly funds the removal of litter from our oceans and coastlines.

The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) created an annual campaign to raise awareness of the threats to reefs and marine life in 2015. Now in its third year, the Year of the Reef continues to promote the benefits and value of reefs across the globe.

Topsail Australia Directors Mark and Cathy are proud owners of a stunning 42ft sailing yacht Catcha Star. Together they have sailed up the West coast of Australia, journeyed to Singapore and explored the islands of Indonesia.

Philip Chandler, Senior Travel Underwriter, has recently joined the Topsail Australia team and is based on the East coast in Sydney, following six years as a Travel Underwriter in the Lloyd’s of London Insurance Market. We took ten minutes and asked ten questions to get to know him better.

We all recognise the importance of maintaining our boat, in order to ensure that She remains safe and sea worthy. However, one of the most important things in keeping the vessel safe, are it’s berthing/ mooring chains and lines.

We all know that talking about travel insurance isn’t the most enticing topic. Take it from someone who works in the industry – it frequently kills the conversation as soon as it’s brought up. However, as with most insurance products, travel insurance is often hugely undervalued until such time as it’s really needed, and as a result I believe it’s important to share the reasons why it is essential to have a suitable travel policy in place before you embark on a trip, whether that includes a boat or not.

Are you signed up with the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System that provides early warning of global disasters via an SMS message? This free service is invaluable for tsunami, earthquake and other emergencies and will send alerts to up to five mobile telephones per subscriber

You just bought a really sweet boat. A fine piece of watercraft that will allow you to zip about on a body of water with the wind in your hair and the water on your face. You can’t wait to get out there and start using it. To glide over the water on waterskis. To sip a cold beverage while being gently rocked by the waves. To embarrass your kids by wearing a Speedo that’s two sizes two small. To take guests out for pleasure cruises on moonlit evenings.

This year’s Fremantle to Bali Ocean Classic rally race has come to a jubilant end with Garth Curran’s Inglis 58, Walk on the Wildside taking line honours. First IRC and first YAH, Wildside’s winning time was the third fastest on record.

This March the Eastern coast of Australia was in preparation mode as an aggressive tropical low formed off the Queensland coast. By late March the low was officially named Cyclone Debbie and the state waited in anticipation for where it would hit first.

October 2016, Andy Lamont and his 34ft S&S yacht Impulse set off from the Gold Coast with the aim of becoming the first sailor to circle the world in a westerly direction, solo and unassisted in a yacht smaller than 40ft.

Australia is set again to experience some severe weather hitting the country. Just last month South Australia was bombarded with strong winds and lightning storms that resulted in blackouts across the state.

Already a passionate ‘boatie’ or want to find out how to become one, then a trip to this month’s Sydney International Boat Show is a must to find out everything you need to know about recreational boating in Australia.

The storms that battered the East Coast of Australia this week caused havoc but the real kicker was the deadly combination of the storm system and high tides that had us suffering a “continuous bashing”.

It’s that time of year again when you may be thinking about laying your boat up out of season. Use these handy tips for Winterising your boat and you'll be thanking yourself come Spring! Remember to keep track of all the activities that you have performed on your boat so that you have a note of what to reverse when you take your boat out of hibernation.

Back in January Dan Groves, Senior Account Executive at Topsail UK left the cold weather behind and headed for our Topsail Australia office in Perth. Dan has since been running the Australian office whilst Mark Ainscough and Cathy Charlick have a well-deserved break on their own yacht ‘Catcha Star’ in Thailand.

Last week saw the 2016 Yachts and Yachting awards presented at the London Boat Show. The annual awards recognise the best clubs, events, performances and products of the past 12 months. There were 15 categories overall ranging from ‘Dinghy of the Year’ to ‘Best Amateur Sailor’.

Andrew Turton & Pete Ceglinski - founders of the Seabin project are keen to let us know how we can join them in helping create a better world with their new invention that will help to prevent our oceans pollution issues.

The ARC is on the bucket list of a vast number of sailors, with over 200 boats and 1200 people every year joining to sail from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia. The event is organised by the World Cruising Club and is one of their many events from all around the world.